Thursday, September 20, 2012

The opposite of Ohana: Grad School

Community engagement and kokua....

Being in graduate school is the opposite of what I advocate for within my own work, support of the ohana and nuclear family system.

Although excited, proud and 'have been waiting for this moment' for a long time I live in a studio isolated from distractions and passings that can take me away from my studies (ie my ohana). I believe that it is the goal of academia, and graduate school, to take people away from their family, what they are familair with and disconnect them from connections longstanding through encouraging international work (another form of colonization).

As pessimistic as my tone may sound there are always positives to these items, but it just depends on what agenda you are working towards and if you are partial to traveling.

Food is a vital part of everyday life. Although I prefer to eat with people it is a privledge when this occurence happens as I have trained my schedule to isolate and focus on being committed to deadlines set by departments, agencies, institutions and individuals who will fund my interest in the future. It is ironic, sacrificing the present (which is a present) for the future (unknown, still present at the time).

I have read some pretty inspiring quotes on instagram ( not #1 source for inspiration, but in these situations let's do it)...here's one of them...

"When you want something you've never had, you ahve to do something you've never done"

And I am applying this to my doctoral pursuit because that it exactly what it is, super akward but that's where I'm at. It is interesting to have the feeling of being uncomfortable in order to advocate for others to gain acceptance in main stream society. But that is how the system has been calculated and bred.